Abstract: An antimicrobial coating slurry includes about 15.5 wt % of a wetting agent, about 6.0 wt % of an insolubilizer, about 1.1 wt % of a biocide agent, and about 7.8 wt % of an inorganic material that includes lithium oxide and the balance water. The slurry is applied to a heat exchanger surface, cured, and washed to form a hydrophilic coating that includes lithium silicate. The hydrophilic coating provides improved moisture wicking and a reduced dissolution rate of biocide, which is held within a lithium silicate matrix.

Abstract: An aqueous-based coolant for cooling and reducing corrosion potential in applications having high aluminum or nickel surface area to coolant volume ratios has a pH between 8 and 9 and includes about 35 weight % to about 65 weight % propylene glycol, about 1.0 weight % to about 4.0 weight % 2-ethylhexanoic acid, about 0.25 weight % to about 1.0 weight % sebacic acid, about 0.25 weight % to about 1.0 weight % benzoic acid and about 0.03 weight % to about 0.1 weight % molybdate oxyanion. A cooling system includes an aluminum or nickel surface and the aqueous-based coolant. A method of cooling a component surface containing aluminum or nickel includes delivering the aqueous-based coolant to the component surface and cooling the component surface with the aqueous-based coolant.

Abstract: An antimicrobial coating slurry includes about 15.5 wt % of a wetting agent, about 6.0 wt % of an insolubilizer, about 1.1 wt % of a biocide agent, and about 7.8 wt % of an inorganic material that includes lithium oxide and the balance water. The slurry is applied to a heat exchanger surface, cured, and washed to form a hydrophilic coating that includes lithium silicate. The hydrophilic coating provides improved moisture wicking and a reduced dissolution rate of biocide, which is held within a lithium silicate matrix.

Abstract: A method for controlling microbial growth in potable water stored in a vessel having a metallic surface includes heating the metallic surface to a temperature between about 480° C. (900° F.) and about 870° C. (1600° F.), exposing the metallic surface to oxygen during heating to oxidize potential reduction sites on the metallic surface and charging potable water containing silver ions to the vessel. A vessel having a metallic surface is prepared for long-term storage of potable water containing silver ions by heating the metallic surface to a temperature between about 480° C. (900° F.) and about 870° C. (1600° F.) and exposing the metallic surface to oxygen during heating to oxidize electropositive metals on the metallic surface or by treating the metallic surface with an aqueous solution containing on oxidizing agent to oxidize potential reduction sites on the metallic surface.

Abstract: An ion exchange apparatus includes at least one fluid passage that extends between an inlet and an outlet for transporting a fluid having ions therein. At least one cartridge includes an ion exchange material and the cartridge has an ion removal rate of removing the ions from the fluid that varies in response to a concentration of the ions in the fluid.

Abstract: An ion exchange apparatus includes at least one fluid passage that extends between an inlet and an outlet for transporting a fluid having ions therein. At least one cartridge includes an ion exchange material and the cartridge has an ion removal rate of removing the ions from the fluid that varies in response to a concentration of the ions in the fluid.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor component includes providing a substrate (110) having a first doping concentration and growing an epitaxial layer (120, 520) over the substrate. The epitaxial layer has a second doping concentration lower than the first doping concentration, and the epitaxial layer has at least two effective, as-grown thicknesses. The resulting composite substrate is suitable for an integrated circuit having both high and low voltage portions.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a heterojunction BiCMOS IC. (100) includes forming a gate electrode (121, 131), forming a protective layer (901, 902) over the gate electrode, forming a semiconductor layer (1101) over the protective layer, depositing an electrically insulative layer (1102, 1103) over the semiconductor layer, using a mask layer (1104) to define a doped region (225) in the semiconductor layer and to define a hole (1201) in the electrically insulative layer, forming an electrically conductive layer (1301) over the electrically insulative layer, using another mask layer (1302) to define an emitter region (240) in the electrically conductive layer and to define an intrinsic base region (231) and a portion of an extrinsic base region (232) in the electrically conductive layer, and using yet another mask layer (1502) to define another portion of the extrinsic base region in the electrically conductive layer.

Abstract: Room temperature cure, antimicrobial coatings that demonstrate a balance of properties including low dissolution and good cohesion and adhesion are provided. Such coatings generally exhibit a greater zone of microbial inhibition, greater cohesion and a greater degree of adhesion to target surfaces when compared to high temperature cure, antimicrobial, hydrophilic coatings.

Abstract: A heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) (30) is formed to have a germanium composition profile (46) in a base region (32) that improves the tolerance of the HBT device (30) to manufacturing variations and reduces the sensitivity to emitter/base biases. A first region (40) of essentially constant germanium composition is formed at the interface of an emitter region (34) and the base region (32). The germanium composition profile (46) also has a second region (41) in which the germanium composition is increased linearly to provide an acceleration field by reducing the band gap in this second region (41). The acceleration field reduces the transit time of carriers and increases the frequency response of the HBT device (30).

Abstract: A method for doping a strained heterojunction semiconductor device includes heating a substrate (16) having a strained mono-crystalline semiconductor region (22) to a temperature above room temperature. While the substrate (16) is heated, dopants are ion implanted into the strained mono-crystalline semiconductor region (22) to minimize implant related damage. Thereafter the substrate (16) is heated under non-steady state conditions for a time sufficient to activate the implanted dopant and anneal implant related damage while minimizing relaxation of the strained heterojunction.

Abstract: Optionally antimicrobial, hydrophilic coatings having reduced or low solids contents are provided. Such coatings are extremely useful for coating heat transfer surfaces of condensing heat exchangers to provide wetting and wicking and optionally to provide microbial growth inhibition where such coatings have improved coating properties and are, upon cure, less prone to cracking, flaking and particle generation.

Abstract: A method for selectively forming semiconductor regions (28) is provided, by exposing a patterned substrate (21) having exposed regions of semiconductor material (26,27) and exposed regions of oxide (24) to a first temperature and a semiconductor source-gas and hydrogen in an atmosphere substantially absent halogens, a blanket semiconductor layer (28,29) forms over the exposed regions of semiconductor material (26,27) and oxide (24). By further exposing the patterned substrate (21) to a second temperature higher than the first temperature in a hydrogen atmosphere, polycrystalline semiconductor material (29) formed over the exposed oxide regions (24) is selectively removed leaving that portion of the blanket semiconductor layer (28) over the exposed regions of semiconductor material (26,27). The method is suitable for forming isolated regions of semiconductor material for fabricating semiconductor devices and is not load dependent.

Abstract: One preferred method for making a semiconductor structure includes altering the direction, and optionally the position, of a polycrystalline grain boundary (38) in a base layer (17,21) of an epitaxial base bipolar transistor (10). Altering the grain boundary (38) may be accomplished by annealing the semiconductor structure after the layer, which later forms the lower portion of the base (17), has been deposited. Altering the grain boundary (38) has a significant effect in reducing base resistance (R.sub.bx1, R.sub.bx2). Reduced base resistance (R.sub.bx1, R.sub.bx2) dramatically improves device performance.

Abstract: The use of bioluminescence on a filtration enrichment sample and a light measuring device allows microbial monitoring in liquids without sample incubation. All characteristics of this monitor are zero gravity compatible which makes it particularly suitable for applications such as monitoring microbial counts in water in a zero gravity, closed environment.

Abstract: A non-strained epitaxial layer is formed to have a small transition width and a low amount or no amount of oxygen incorporated therein. During the formation of non-strained epitaxial layer, a germanium source gas is introduced. Germanium reacts with water and/or oxygen to form GeO, which sublimates from the surface of the non-strained epitaxial layer, instead of oxygen being incorporated into the lattice. Thus, a low temperature epitaxial process can be used to obtain the small transition width without having oxygen incorporated into the non-strained epitaxial layer.

Abstract: Heat transfer surfaces in condensing heat exchangers are often coated with a hydrophilic coating to provide wetting and wicking. This coating is typically porous and continuously moist during operation and, therefore, a potential breeding ground for microbes. The inclusion of an antimicrobial agent, such as silver oxide, in the coating inhibits microbial growth and improves adhesion to the heat transfer surfaces.

Abstract: An epitaxial reactor (10) includes a bell jar (11) wherein epitaxial depositions are performed. During an epitaxial deposition cycle, the temperature of the bell jar (11) is monitored by an infrared detector (22). After the temperature reaches a predetermined value, initiation of further epitaxial deposition cycles is inhibited. The control method extends the useful lifetime of heating lamps (12) and bell jar seals thereby reducing the cost of semiconductor wafers (16).

Abstract: A bipolar transistor (10) is formed by using low temperature epitaxial deposition in order to form a base layer (14) of the transistor (10). A dielectric (16, 17, 18) is applied to the base layer (14) and an emitter opening (21) having sloping sidewalls is formed in the dielectric (16, 17, 18). Low temperature epitaxial deposition is also used for forming an emitter (24) within the emitter opening (21). The emitter opening (21) forms sloping sidewalls on the emitter (24) thereby forming an emitter overhang that overlies the base layer (14). The width (26) of the emitter overhang determines an extrinsic base width of the transistor (10).

Abstract: A method of forming a silicon-germanium epitaxial layer using dichlorosilane as a silicon source gas. A semiconductor seed layer (15) is formed on a portion of a semiconductor layer (12) and on a portion of a layer of dielectric material (13). The semiconductor seed layer (15) provides nucleation sites for a Si-Ge epitaxial alloy layer (16). The epitaxial film (16) is formed on the semiconductor seed layer (15). Both the semiconductor seed layer (15) and the Si-Ge epitaxial film (16) are formed at a system growth pressure between approximately 25 and 760 millimeters of mercury and a temperature below approximately 900.degree. C. The semiconductor seed layer (15) and the Si-Ge epitaxial film (16) permit fabrication of a heterostructure semiconductor integrated circuit (10), thereby allowing the exploitation of band-gap engineering techniques.